Easy-Easy Pear Sauce

One of my favorite simple-simple desserts, just pears sautéed gently in a little maple syrup and flecked with ginger. It's a light touch for a bite of sweetness for a weeknight dessert, also wonderful on pancakes and in smoothies.

So yes, autumn is settling in here in Missouri, the leaves showing signs of color to come. Soon those leaves will flutter from on high. Soon, as we walk, the dog will push her nose into piles of leaves that line the streets. Is that the scent of a mouse? another dog? or just the fun of nosing crackly bits of fresh air and dying chlorophyll? The sounds of crickets – or are they katy-dids? – emerge from cracks alongside the house. A box turtle has taken up winter residence in a window well.

Here in eastern Missouri, we’re blessed by four seasons. Is fall the most wondrous of all?

ALANNA’s TIPS My favorite weeknight dessert is a small serving of Greek yogurt topped with a little fruit, savored one tiny spoonful at a time. With Easy-Easy Pear Sauce, I allow one pear for two people, it’s plenty.

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Do you have a favorite easy fruit dessert recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. Follow Kitchen Parade on Facebook!

EASY-EASY PEAR SAUCE

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: 15 minutes
Serves 4, easily adapted for 1 or 2 or many

4 tablespoons maple syrup or sugar-free syrup

4 ripe pears, cored and sliced

Sprinkle of powdered ginger

Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons corn starch

In a skillet, combine the maple syrup, pears and ginger, gently cook until the pears are warmed through and soft, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice and corn starch. Stir into the warm pears and cook for about 1 minute, until slightly thick and bubbly.

Serve alone warm, or draped over yogurt, or alongside warm gingerbread, or as a pancake syrup. Any leftover? The next morning, whiz the pear sauce with a little milk for a pear smoothie.

This Week, Elsewhere

What's Fall LIke in Your Part of the World?

Let me know in the comments!

In the Missouri countryside, fall color reaches its peak in mid- to late-October. These photos were taken last year in the Missouri Ozarks in a wild place mostly used for hunting and fishing. But it's warmer in the 'heat island' of St. Louis and the trees are different, so color won't reach its peak in the city until the last week in October or even the first week in November.

left - Leaves reflecting off the lake. right - Brilliant color in the woods.

top - Leaves in a spring-fed stream.
bottom - My dog Lady between fronds of goldenrod.

Join the Conversation!

Can I can this recipe?? Or would freezing it be better? If they can be canned would I use a water bath or a pressure canner? Would I change the recipe at all?? Thank you sorry for such an off the wall question.Thank You

Just stumbled across your site looking for healthy recipes and weight watcher ones, too. I saw that you are from MO, I live in Branson...if ever in the area, lets get together. Sincerely, Jeanne Guidry PS I am on FB.

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Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna